


Escape The City

by babybeagle1010



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Additional Characters, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Band, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Blood and Gore, Caretaking, Fear, Fluff and Smut, Injury, Josh Dun/Tyler Joseph Smut, Leave the City, M/M, Paranoia, Porn With Plot, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Survival, Trench Era, animal masks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2019-08-21 10:54:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16575086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babybeagle1010/pseuds/babybeagle1010
Summary: Few survive inside the city, and fewer manage to escape. Those stuck are watched, studied, pushed to the edge of sanity everyday. They dream and hope for better days, though they never come. Tyler, one of the many unlucky people trapped in the hellish city, manages to break out, though it isn't long until his disappearance is noted and the rulers of the city - better known as 'Nico and the Niners' by the inhabitants - set off after him. Will he manage to escape and reach a place of security, or realize that maybe all of his desires of what's beyond the walls is nothing more than a child's tale that helped keep him sane during those restless nights.





	1. Beyond The Walls

Pain shot through his leg as he limped through the forest, right hand gripped onto his thigh to help soothe the pain, though it didn't help much. His senses were on high alert, paranoia crept up his back as he prayed for something to help him. He knew they weren't far behind. Nico. He wasn't going to let Tyler go this easily. He was a promising young man, at least that's what he was told by the others. The way they had treated him made him doubt those statements. If he was seen as one of the better ones and was still treated so poorly, he couldn't imagine how the others managed. The thoughts were drained from his mind as another jolt of pain shot up from his leg. It was a reminder to keep moving. He didn't remember how he had gotten the injury, maybe on the way out of the city, maybe he'd hit it off of a protruding stick. The forest was dense, so it was a possibility. However he got it, he had to take care of it soon. It hurt, and the more the adrenaline wore off, the worse it got.

Run. His mind screamed at him, even though his body pleaded to him to rest. They could be anywhere. Watching. He didn't like that, he didn't want to get tossed back into that hell. His fear got the best of him, and despite the blood still trickling down his thigh he continued on. He kept a steady pace, going as fast as an injured person could. His left hand pulled at his hair as soft whimpers left his mouth, each step causing the pain to grow. He had to be far enough by now, right? No. He had to keep going. Run. Run. So he did. Vision spinning and throat closing, he continued his trek.

His thoughts were interrupted once he saw a figure looming out of the corner of his eyes, but he wasn't sure if what he saw was real, or just his mind playing a cruel trick on him. He wanted to say hello, see if anyone was there, but his body wouldn't let out anything other than a few wheezy breaths. He stared off into the distance, wanting to know if it truly was just his imagination, and he almost passed it off as so until the shadowy figure started moving towards him. He began stumbling backwards. It was them. They found him. Breath hitching in his throat, he tried to run again, but his body refused. It was tired, it couldn't fight any longer. Pathetically, he collapsed onto the ground, all of his weight being supported on his left leg as his hands covered his face. He bit down on his left hand, trying to muffle the cries that he occasionally let out. _Please._ He didn't want to go back. He couldn't. He...

The figure got closer, so close that Tyler could hear their footsteps even over the piercing sound of his heart racing. He waited to be pulled up, yanked hard enough to tear his arm straight off his body, but that didn't happen. What were they waiting for? Just take him. He couldn't go on. He was weak. Still, they did nothing. Slowly removing his hands from his face, he mustered up the courage to look at whatever or whoever had approached him.

Yellow. Green. The man who stood before him wasn't from the city. A wave of relief washed over him, but it didn't last for long. He looked towards his face, and to Tyler's surprise it was covered by a magnificently crafted wooden _cheetah mask._ Paint covered it, yellow with the black markings a real cheetah would have. Spots and two lines mirroring each other that ran from where the tear ducts would be down to the muzzle. There were holes where the eyes of the animal would be located, revealing a dark brown pair that belonged to the man behind the mask. Yellow tape covered his body, and tufts of dyed yellow hair stuck out of the mask. It was quite an unusual sight, certainly something Tyler never thought he'd see in his life. The question still remained however. Was this person going to help him? Harm him? Neither of them had spoken yet, the only thing breaking the silence between them being Tyler's own breaths and the sounds of the forest around them.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the masked stranger reached out a hand, almost as if he was helping a friend he'd known for years. Tyler wasn't sure if he could trust the other, he assumed wearing wooden cheetah masks wasn't something people normally did, outside of the city and in it, but right now going with the stranger was his best bet at surviving. He couldn't limp around and bleed out forever. Hesitantly, he reached a shaky, blood stained hand out to the stranger who promptly lifted him up, swinging Tyler's arm around his shoulder so the injured man had some form of support. So he was going to help. That reassured Tyler a bit, and his heart rate began to slow down. The two began to walk, Tyler hopping on his left leg as he simply followed the trail the other led him down. Personally, Tyler, unsurprisingly, had no idea where they were, but it was clear the masked man knew his way around.

"You're from the city, aren't you?" Tyler jumped at the sudden question. He had subconsciously came to the conclusion that the other just didn't speak, and truthfully he was fine with that. He wasn't sure how many words he'd be able to get out anyways in his current state. Tyler didn't reply for a while. It was such an easy question, this man was trying to help, he could at least answer this one simple question.

"Yes." Tyler choked out, voice cracking. He stared blankly at the ground, teeth biting down on his bottom lip. He debated on whether to elaborate or not, but before he could come to a solid decision, he found himself rambling anyways, "I couldn't...couldn't stay there any longer. They-" he couldn't finish talking, a deep cough forcing its way up his throat. Maybe talking wasn't the best option. Not now at least.

"You can tell me about it later." Later? Where were they going? Tyler wanted to ask, but the raspy cough and constant aches stopped him. Who even was this? Why did he have a cheetah mask on? How far were they from the city? He had too many questions, and yet they would have to remain unanswered for now. The pair walked along a while longer, and the journey was going about as well as it could for Tyler considering the condition he was in. That is until they ran into a somewhat steep hill. Slowly, the other helped Tyler safely get down, and he found himself becoming more relaxed in the other's care. Even if he didn't know what the future had planned, at least he was safe in this moment.

After some more wandering, Tyler found himself staring straight into what seemed like an underground tunnel, the only light being what the sun's rays shone down into it. Other than that, it was completely dark. He found his nerves returning, and suddenly he was doubting putting his trust into this stranger's hands. What if this led to the city? No. He had to tell himself he'd be fine.

"Can you stand by yourself for a minute?" For the second time, the voice shocked him. He drew in a sharp breath, tensing up as he glanced up. Tyler gave a short and simple nod as an answer, not wanting to humiliate himself any further with voice cracks or child-like whimpers. At the response, the other man carefully moved away from Tyler. He almost lost his balance at the loss of his human support beam, but managed to balance on his left leg. His right leg had given out a while ago, so he didn't even bother to attempt and shift any of his weight onto that foot. He watched as the other lifted an arm up, reaching for something that was attached to a large pack that he carried on his back. Once he pulled it into sight, Tyler realized it was an unlit torch, a long stick with a wad of cloth attached to the end. Before he could blink, the other had reached into his pocket, pulled out a lighter, and lit the torch. He could feel the heat hit his face as it lit into flames, even from a distance, and the warmth was somewhat calming. Not calming enough to stop his shivering hands and racing thoughts, however.

Without a word, he felt a hand slip behind his back, and the support he had earlier was suddenly back. The man held the torch in his right hand, while his left was busy supporting Tyler. Silently, they started to travel into the tunnel. Away from the world above. The further they went, the more Tyler's mind raced. It just wouldn't stop, and he had a gut feeling it would be like that for a while. Tyler was still suspecting that he was being tricked into some sort of underground trap, but that died away as he heard the sound of...voices off in the distance. He didn't know how many voices, but they sounded happy. Laughs, cheers. It gave him hope.

Soon enough, the source of the voices was revealed, a decently sized group of about twenty people all gathered, covered in yellow tape, each with an individual animal mask either on their face, attached to a small loop on their pants, or simply being held in their hands. A wolf, an owl, a rabbit. He tried to take in everything around him. It was stunning, opposite of anything he'd ever seen inside of the city. The chatter began to dwindle as heads started to turn, not a single one focused on anything other than the newcomer; Tyler. Having all of these people's eyes on him didn't help him calm down. Who were all of these people? Where-

He stopped once he found dark eyes locked onto him, and noticed a face. The cheetah mask had been pulled back, pushing the once masked man's yellow hair back, though a few stray hairs still wildly stuck out. Tyler studied him, his eyes, the only thing he had been able to see before now had an entire face attached to it. His jawline, cheeks, nose. The man who had brought him someplace better when he could have just left him for dead, let Nico and the Niners find him, but he didn't. It almost seemed like fate. Almost. A few seconds of silence passed before the other spoke, voice flat and monotone,

_"Welcome to Trench."_


	2. A New Life in Trench

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyler arrives in a worn down, underground shelter otherwise known as Trench. The people there seem skeptical of him, and as uncomfortable as he may get from the side eyes and glares he knows it's better than the city. He begins to find out more about trench and those who inhabit it, and he knows he'll need to know as much as possible if he wants to manage here.

_Trench._

The name of the place rang through his ears, almost distracting him from the multiple pairs of eyes that fell upon him. Although it was run down, dim, it was already giving off a much more pleasant vibe than the city. Had they all escaped the city as well? There wasn't anyway to tell, and he wasn't really sure if he was ready to chat about that topic after just leaving it. Too many bad memories.

"Take him, check that wound on his leg," Tyler felt the support he once had from the other man vanish yet again, "and get him some better clothes, stuff he's got on now looks like sh-" Tyler didn't get to hear the rest of the conversation, as he was swiftly pulled aside by one of the inhabitants of Trench. He was tall, whoever this person was. A firm grip, but not harsh, just enough to keep him from falling over like a newborn deer. His eyes flicked to the mask that dangled from the other's freehand; it was an elk of some sort, in a style eerily similar to the cheetah one. He wouldn't be surprised if it had been made by the same person. Focusing back onto his face, he took note of every feature. Short, curly black hair, dark brown eyes. A somewhat fierce look in his expression, but there was an underlying hint of kindness and wisdom.

The other settled Tyler down on an old double sized bed. The wooden frame was worn down and let out a high pitched creek as he sat. There was nothing on it other than a mattress that shared the same worn down attributes that the frame did. He leaned back, thankful to take the weight off of his legs. The adrenaline was almost completely gone now, and the aches and throbs slowly began to sink into both his legs, and a minor headache started to form. He lifted his right arm to rub his temples, hoping to at least relieve some of the pain, but unsurprisingly no comfort came. Half opened eyes settled on the man who had settled down on a stool across the room he had been brought into. Medical supplies stacked multiple shelves, pill bottles, bandaids, some other things. Somethings he either didn't know what it was or couldn't read the labels from where he was seated.

Tyler's eyes eventually settled on a broken picture frame, a crinkled and somewhat blurred picture settled inside. Three people. One of them being the dark haired man who had brought him into the room, while the other two remained unknown.

"Like the picture?" Tyler's eyes snapped back to the other who was much closer now than he was a mere few seconds ago. Guess he was being too obvious with his staring. "Just some pals of mine." He didn't elaborate on the subject, instead he reached down for Tyler's leg, carefully lifting it to get a better look. His hands were cold, calloused. Once his hand reached the wound, Tyler let out a sharp hiss, nails digging down into the mattress he sat upon. "Sorry." His hands pulled back, "We'll get ya patched up, alright? Nothin' a few stitches can't fix. Say, what's your name? We don't get new faces around here often."

His name? He didn't know why the question took him so off guard, but it did, "Tyler-" He barely got his name out before he flinched again, finding the hands once again on his skin. "Joseph. Tyler Joseph." He almost second guessed himself, head so fuzzy he wasn't sure if his mouth said the right thing. "Yours?" If he was going to be here for a while, the least he could do was get to know some of the others here.

"Johnny, but just call me John. Johnny makes me sound like a five year old." The man- _John_ \- let out a chuckle at his own comment. He pressed a wet cloth against Tyler's wound, gently dabbing it to wipe away some of the blood. While the touch hurt, it felt nice to get it cleaned after a rough journey like that. "You're lucky as hell you were in the right place at the right time. Got taken back here. Not to scare you or anything, but this cut isn't somethin' that would've healed on its own. You probably would've, well, bled out." That didn't help calm his nerves at all. Whatever. Shake it off. You're here now, safe. Safe.

"So, are you like the medic of this place or something?" Tyler asked, anxiously twiddling with his fingers as John worked on his leg. That might be a dumbass question considering he was literally surrounded by medical supplies and was about to sow his leg up, but he didn't want the conversation to die out just yet.

"You guessed it." Was all John gave as a reply, though it was short, he didn't seem to mind. He pulled the towel away from Tyler's leg, lazily tossing it aside before he grabbed some other things. A sewing needle, some cotton, a small pair of tweezers. Tyler turned his head to the side, not exactly fond of the idea of watching his own body get stitched together like he was some sort of doll.

" _Ow._ " Tyler hissed at the first prick of pain, toes curling as his eyes squeezed shut. It wasn't painful, more unsettling than anything. He tried to think of something to distract himself while John worked. That man who had brought him here. He didn't know anything about him; maybe now was his chance to do some digging? "Who brought me here? The man with that cheetah mask?" He never opened his eyes as he spoke, teeth biting on the inside of his cheek the second he got the words out.

" _Josh?_ " Josh. Josh, Josh, Josh. Tyler ran the name through his head a multitude of times. He'd have to find him after he got patched up, thank him for taking him in. Helping him. Something about him intrigued him, and he wanted to know more. "Yeah, he's sort of our unofficial leader here. Keeps track of everything, leads the group on supply runs. He likes to go out on his own a lot, probably too much for his own good. People always worry one day he's not gunna come back, but right when people start to doubt his abilities he'll come marching right back in. Typically not with another _person_ in his arms, however." Tyler could only imagine how he looked, limping into this people's homes covered in blood while being dragged along by their leader. Definitely not a good first impression.

Minutes passed, Tyler stayed silent and John did as well as he worked on fixing up his leg. Once he had finished, Tyler slowly looked down at John and his own leg, pleased to see the decent sowing job. He'd be back to normal in no time. John slowly rose to his feet, hands faintly blood stained, though Tyler knew that being the medic of this place, or any place, probably made you numb to things like that. He reached down, trailing his pointer finger down the bumpy stitches that attached his skin together. There'd be a scar there once it healed. "Thank you." He said in a hushed tone, earning a side smile from John.

"No problem." John replied, using a fresh towel to wipe off his hands. He rose to his feet, walking to a cupboard a few feet away, mirroring where all of the medical supplies were located. He swung the door open and dug around in it for a while, glancing over at Tyler from time to time, who had a confused expression stuck onto his face, wondering what the other was doing. John soon pulled out a set of fresh clothes. A navy green jacket, black tee-shirt, white socks, long black jeans. He looked down at the clothes he had on now, all dark, the hardening blood stains now hardly noticeable on the dark fabric. He was more than happy to change out of the ragged outfit he wore. The clothes were placed into Tyler's hand, and he felt John give him a reassuring pat on his right shoulder, "Get changed, take it easy. I'm sure Josh would love to have a few words with you when you're feelin' up to it." With that, he left the room, leaving Tyler alone.

For a while, Tyler didn't move, he only looked at his muddy shoes. The one thing they didn't see to give him was another pair of shoes, but he was more than grateful for what he did receive. Sluggishly, he rose to his feet, keeping a hand down on the mattress as some form of support. The new clothes were neatly folded in a pile next to him, while his old clothes slowly formed a pile in the corner of the room as he ripped them off of his body. One by one, he put the new clothes on, starting with the pants, then the shirt, the jacket, finally the socks. He took in a breath once he had finished getting dressed, not knowing doing such a simple task could be so exhausting. He studied his new outfit carefully and as well as he could without a mirror in his presence. He liked this. He felt refreshed, like he had been born again. Absentmindedly, his hand slid into one of the jacket's front pockets, and his eyebrows furrowed as he realized there was something in there. He pulled it out, rubbing the rough fabric with his thumb. A bandana, bright yellow, like the tape he'd seen on Josh and many others before. He pulled it around his neck, tying it so it would stay on, but kept enough room so it was comfortably draped around him.

Guess it was time to head out. He had slipped his shoes back on, still being weary about how much pressure he was placing onto his legs. _Find Josh._ He wanted to talk to him, and he wanted answers. Limping out of the room he'd been situated in, he made his way back to the main area where most people seemed to be gathering, except this time they didn't even bat an eye in his direction. He looked around, leaning against a wall as he tried to figure out where to go. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Josh make his way into another room, and he seemed to be alone. This was his chance. Slowly but surely he made his way over, standing close to the wall incase. Before he got the chance to knock on the door, he froze. What was he going to say? Should he just introduce himself? This man had practically saved his life, after all, he couldn't just awkwardly avoid him forever. In one movement, before he had the chance to find lame excuses to stall himself any longer, he knocked on the door.

"Come in." The voice behind the door replied, so Tyler did just that. He pushed open the creaking door and took a few steps into the room, straightening his posture as much as possible. "You seem better," Josh continued, voice much clearer now that they weren't separated by a door. He took a few steps closer to Tyler, almost as if he was investigating his every movement, every sound, "Good."

_"Because we've got quite a lot to talk about."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates will mostly only be on weekends. This story is 100% for fun and was just something I thought of and wanted to make a little story! I hope you're enjoying so far :)


	3. Finding Purpose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still a stranger in this new home, Tyler yearns for answers. Some come easy while others require much more digging. Difficult questions have difficult answers, after all. Finding a place in Trench is a necessity, and doubting one's worth could be a cause for failure.

"A lot?" Tyler responded, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he prepared himself for a gruelingly long conversation.

"That's what I said." Josh replied in a rather snarky tone. His thumbs caressed the cheetah mask that sat in his hands. Paint was chipping off of it, and the waves of mismatched carving was clear now that Tyler had a better look. The detail was almost impressive, and if his heart wasn't already pounding from nerves, perhaps he would've asked to get a closer look. Not now, it wasn't the time. Josh looked like he was getting impatient.

"What about?" Tyler's voice quivered as he asked, absentmindedly starting to sway side to side from one leg to another. That quickly stopped however as a jolt of pain ran up his leg, reminding him that his injury was still there. That he was _vulnerable_. He went stiff, but tried not to make his fear too obvious. He was, however, being extremely obvious.

"Relax," Josh said, "have a seat." His hand moved, gesturing towards a half-assed handmade wooden stool. Guess they used more of their wood supply on masks than decent living supplies. Tyler's eyes shifted to the stool, and he took a seat. It wobbled as he sat, but it kept him steady and removed the pressure from his leg, and for that he was thankful. Josh watched him like a hawk as he sat, watchful gaze never lifting. The more Tyler examined him, the more he could see his leadership qualities. Helpful, careful, bold. He'd only known him for a few hours at most, but the man did save him. Who could blame him for thinking positively about him; even if he was a _bit_ intimidating.

"I wanted to ask you about the city." So that's what this was all about. Tyler's hand brushed over his injured leg, almost reminding himself about what _they_ had done.

"You escaped," Josh asked, "obviously not unharmed, but you did. We've gotten less and less survivors out here as of lately. My only reasonable assumption is that they've gotten stronger." Tyler shuffled at the onslaught of words, visibly uncomfortable at the memories. They'd normally only come back in pieces. Perhaps it was something in his brain attempting to bury those memories deep. Deep where the light would never shine on them.

"Yes," Tyler murmured, rocking back and forth on his seat, "there's still more back there." He said it as if Josh wouldn't already know that, "Were you from the city?"

Josh nodded firmly, "Everyone here is. There's not many who aren't from the city. If you aren't there, you're here, and if you aren't here, you're dead."

 _Dead._ Tyler swallowed down a lump forming in his throat.

"Our numbers have been dwindling. Day after day, week after week. More get taken back, or _slaughtered_. We need more numbers, and you..." Josh looked Tyler up and down, his dark eyes studying him. Like he was some sort of monster with three heads. Something he hadn't seen in months. Tyler wasn't exactly who you'd expect to see escape the city. He was fit, but not overly muscular. His strength didn't lie in his body, but it came from somewhere else. His mind and the ever swirling void of thoughts and mystery. How had he gotten out when so many others had failed? There had to be a good reason.

"I..?" Tyler begrudgingly tried to get Josh to go on, leaning his head a bit forward. What made him stand out against the entirety of Trench? Josh didn't know how much of a mess he really was yet. Maybe he could prove to be of some worth here. If it kept him away from that city of hell, he'd do almost anything.

"You...your name. I never got it." Right, Tyler only knew Josh's name from Johnny.

"Tyler." He said, and so he didn't seem like a creep for saying his name out of nowhere, Tyler added, "yours?"

"Josh." The other answered, hesitantly taking the cheetah mask and placing it on a nearby table. Hand-made, like everything else was. The mask wobbled for a moment as it was set down. Josh reached out his right hand, waiting for Tyler to take it, "Glad to have you on board." Tyler didn't exactly have much of a choice with joining or not.

"Yeah." Tyler said softly, reaching out to take Josh's hand. He squeezed tightly, lifting his hand up then down. A firm shake. The touch of Josh's hand was somehow soothing. Tight, secure. A feeling he'd almost accepted he'd never feel again. Josh's hand slipped back, and he took a few steps backward.

"As much as I'd like to, chatting doesn't get much solved around here." Josh turned, picking back up his mask. He held it close, tucking it firmly under his armpit, "so I should get to the point. We all have jobs here, Tyler. Securing boarders, watch duties, medical duties. Everyone here has a unique personality, and with that, are assigned things to do. Of course, I hardly know you." Tyler almost let out a sigh, hoping that meant he'd be free from those duties, but Josh had other plans, "That being said, while you heal, I want you to help Johnny out with anything medical. Collecting, organizing. All that. Once you're healed, then we'll discuss furthering things."

Tyler fidgeted with his thumbs, just nodding to show he was still listening. He jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Even though Josh had been the only other person in the room, everything just made him jumpy these days.

"You'll get used to it here. I'll check up on you from time to time." Josh gave a crooked smile as he reassured Tyler, and the seated male just stared up at him for a while. Too close. He took in a breath through clenched teeth, almost feeling Josh's body heat on his skin. Everything felt enhanced. Focus on something else, find something. Distraction, distraction, distraction.

"The mask. You were wearing it, why?" Tyler wheezed out, staring at the mask that Josh had fit snugly between his arm and body.

Josh moved his arm away from Tyler, and Tyler was relieved, to say the least. Something about the touch seemed to make his senses go overload.

"Protection. It hides us. Our faces. We disorient, create the illusion that we're bigger than we truly are. Braver, bolder." Josh sighed, taking the cheetah mask and holding it. His eyes looked over the mask he had made so long ago, "I make them. Everyone gets one. They can request an animal, or I'll do one for them." Tyler looked interested, much more so now that he knew the reasoning behind them.

"Suppose I should make you one." The sparkle in Tyler's eyes was enough to give away that he wanted one of his own. A mask to hide behind-and not a metaphorical one. "What animal do you want?"

Oh. What did he want? A lion, a tiger? A large, ferocious cat that could tear through flesh? No, that seemed too distant from him. Too close to Josh's anyways. A wolf, a coyote? Tyler ran through almost every animal in the animal kingdom, but each time he'd deny it for one reason or the other. Too bold, too meek, to small, too whatever. Excuses.

"I don't know." Tyler finally whispered after his mind drew nothing but blanks.

"That's alright. I'll make something for you." For him? After just a first impression, he wondered what Josh would craft for him. "For now, you should rest. I'll come find you when I have more questions." More questions, wonderful. Figuring now was his time to leave, Tyler shakily rose from the stool. His leg practically begged to sit back down, but he stood his ground.

"I'll see you around then?" Tyler muttered, already making his way towards the exit.

"No doubt."

Tyler nodded. He was living here now, in Trench. He would have to thrive and flourish. Failure didn't seem like an option here when threats were always surrounding. Always circling like _vultures._ He left Josh's room, closing the door behind him. When it clicked shut, he gave out a sigh he didn't realize he had been holding in. Exhausted, he was exhausted. So much new information was being crammed inside of his skull. New names, new facts. Hopefully his memory wouldn't fail him. Heaven save his soul. He made his way back to Johnny, assuming he'd be spending his time there for a while. Until Josh came back with whatever jobs he needed done. His stomach churned with anxiety. He didn't want to go back up there and risk _them_ finding him. There was too much to risk. Too much.

He slunk towards John as he came into view, not returning the friendly wave the other had offered. He was too tired, he wanted to rest. He found a spare bed that seemed about as good as any to sleep on, and so he did. He laid down, eyes closing as mismatched shapes and places filled his mind. They slowly faded to black, and became nothing more but foggy sleep. Tomorrow was a new day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise. Got dragged back into this and couldn't leave it unfinished. No promises on how frequent updates will be, but damn, I'm ready to get back into things. Hopefully. I know this was more dialogue than anything, but that won't always be the case. Some chapters will be more dialogue heavy than others! Hope you enjoy.


	4. Gifts From Graveyards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well into his healing, Tyler has grown accustomed to his new home. Memories come back in pieces, most of the time not adding up. He sees faces. Eyes. Ears. Separated parts that he can't stitch together. He is mostly silent about these occurrences, preferring to shove them down and continue what he must do. Able to explore the outside now, there's more to Trench than what lies in its walls.

The wound on his leg had been healing nicely. Minimal pressure and rest seemed to do the trick, with occasional check ups. The scar was nasty, and Tyler hated it. The bulging of his skin could be felt even through his pants. Uneven skin pressed against the fabric, and though it didn't hurt, he'd have to hold back an exasperated sigh every time. The limp in his step had decreased overtime, thankfully. Beyond the physical pains, however, Tyler felt just as cowardly as ever. His brain was constantly clouded with thoughts. The jaded memories, jumbled names he tried to remember. He tried not to forget, but the doubt that welled in him didn't do any favors. Concentrating was difficult when he wanted nothing more than to snap his fingers and have it all go away.

The forest was always a nice distraction, even when his fingers picked at the white tips of his nails; a bad habit he'd picked up on back in the city. They had to do something back in the city. The harsh parts of the city he didn't remember much, but the drawn out days and nights of doing nothing was still engraved in his mind. His legs would get stiff from sitting for so long, and his pupils would burn when he saw the sun after being kept in the shade for so long. Feeling the sun pressed against his pale skin was pleasant. His long sleeves were rolled up to allow the sun to graze over more of his body, inviting it with opened arms. He bit his lip, squinted eyes staring up at the bright sky.

"You're going to go blind if you keep that up." Johnny spoke up, receiving an eye-roll from Tyler. He just enjoyed it. The fire on his skin. Trench's camp was hidden well underground, but if it was safe enough to move, Tyler would be all for moving it above the surface.

Looking around at the green land now, he realized he wasn't sure where they had wandered. As Tyler healed, they'd venture out farther and farther. He'd see new things, new plants he didn't even know existed. All of this was so exotic to him. Were the long-term inhabitants of Trench already far too familiar with their territory? So much that they'd rather stay cooped up in camp than give a single footprint for Nico to track. Tyler's hand crawled up to his sleeve, tugging on it as the idea came into his head. What if they _were_ being tracked now? Locked into a corner like pathetic rabbits.

"Where are we going?" Tyler asked, his eyebrows knitting together in concern and slight frustration. He took in a breath, hoping to steady it.

"The graveyard." The response came eerily energetic given the circumstance of their destination. Tyler gave Johnny a strange look, who picked up on it, "It's beautiful. Everyone deserves to see it. It was there since before Trench was even formed. Their graves illuminate in the dark, but it's not exactly the brightest idea to go out at night, so not a ton of people get the full experience." Johnny's dark eyes lit up in excitement, his smile causing small creases to form in the corner of them. His hands were bunched up in fists as he excitedly sped up, quickening their pace. Tyler reached out his stride to keep up.

"We bury our dead there," Johnny elaborated, his flare of excitement dying for a moment before it revived, "but there were already bodies there before we found it. We couldn't figure out how to replicate the glowing graves they were given, so we just gave our dead normal gravestones. It makes you wonder who put out those glowing gravestones in the first place. Were there people before us? Were these city inhabitants, or were they from before then?" Tyler's head spun from all of the questions, truly not having an answer, so he just shrugged.

"Guess I should've expected that." Johnny replied, making Tyler grin a tad bit. Johnny was nice, undoubtably. He'd met more people in Trench. People who were scared, people who were lost, people who were hateful; none of them he had connected with. Josh had hardly sought him out as of recently. Maybe he was sick of him already. The thought made Tyler grab onto his sleeve tighter.

"How much farther? My leg's starting to ache." Tyler muttered his words, moving his hands to push down on part of the wound for emphasis.

Johnny looked over his shoulder at Tyler, clearly acknowledging him. Tyler stared at him, making eye contact and waiting for a response, but Johnny just turned around and said nothing. Tyler's lips parted as his mouth opened to say something, yet he slammed it shut as they rounded a large tree, revealing a moss covered stone arch. The entrance, he guessed. Everything was overgrown, and cracks ran through nearly every structure. The air smelled of nature, and if one didn't know, there'd be no reason to assume any dead bodies laid just about six feet below them. The soil was rich beneath their feet. Tyler's feet sunk a bit into it, the soil clinging onto his shoes as he lifted his foot away from the ground.

Red carnations were scattered about the graveyard, something that wasn't native to the area, as far as Tyler knew. He wandered over to them, his hands resting on his knees as he squatted down to get a closer look. Tenderly, he reached out to grace his fingers over the petals of the flower planted in front of him. It was soft, and he could smell the aroma flowing off of each individual flower. His hands left the petals, traveling down the stem until he could nearly touch the ground. Wrapping his fingers around the flower, he plucked it without a second thought.

It was stunning. The red tint reflected in his eyes, and he held it close as he rose back up to full height. His hands moved, slipping the carnation into his pocket. He secured it, then turned back to Johnny.

"Did you plant these?" Tyler asked, mouth partially open as he continued to take in the open air. Gusts of wind ruffled his hair as he stood still.

"No," Johnny replied, "they've been here since this place was discovered. Someone planted them, but nobody's sure _who_ exactly." HIs eyes moved, looking at the flower that poked out of Tyler's coat pocket. He didn't say anything about it, instead changing the subject. "Come look over here. The glowing gravestones I was talking about." Well, they weren't glowing yet. They only glowed at night, Tyler recalled being told. He limped over, examining the gravestones. They weren't typical. No names, no dates. They weren't even stone. They appeared more like glass, with two lines of support. One was straight, while the other was somewhat crooked. A horizontal line in the middle separated it into two halves. There weren't many of them-maybe twenty-but all were structured perfectly. All identical, unlike the stone ones the former inhabitants of Trench had been given.

"Weird." Tyler said in a hushed tone, something about the gravestones made his mind buzz. Even the luscious plants seemed to avoid them as if it would cause them harm. No moss grew on them, no stems crawled up the sides. It was just nothing, as if they'd just been placed there the other day.

"We should head back." Tyler suggested, already taking a few steps back. His heel bumped one of the glass-like gravestones, causing him to briefly jump. He whipped his head around to look over his shoulder, giving the inanimate object the closest thing to a death-stare that he could muster. He turned back, arms crossing over his chest.

Johnny smirked at the show that unraveled before him, "Alright then, let's go." The two headed out, Johnny leading the way as Tyler trailed behind. The sun was slowly setting, giving the sky an amber hue. Night was dangerous, even if he wasn't alone, Tyler didn't want to risk it. _Couldn't_ risk it. Even with his leg's poor condition, he traveled swiftly to assure they'd make it back before stars would cover the sky in its dark blanket. Trench was his home now, and he found himself longing for home more and more as time passed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this seems drawn out, but I wanted to give a good environmental feel to the graveyard. It'll be back in later chapters. Hope you enjoy.


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